Stirk House Hotel is a venue that I hadn’t played in until this last weekend. As I live in York it is quite a scenic drive over the A59 to Clitheroe, but on this occasion it was an absolutely beautiful drive. That being said, I did arrive in torrential rain.
Upon arrival I was greeted by lovely staff and Dave – Master of Ceremonies. Dave quickly became my favourite person as he showed me around the venue and talked through timings and the best route for getting the harp from the Ceremony room through to the Wedding Breakfast. Not only that, he brought me a cappuccino completely unprompted. We like Dave.
After unpacking my harp and popping the covers back in the car, it was time to change into my dress, tune, and warm up.
I learned quite a few songs especially for this wedding that weren’t on my list before, so I was keen to have a final play through. This is the song that Lucy walked down the aisle to, I didn’t know it before but it’s so lovely. I challenge you to listen without tearing up just a little bit:
The Wedding
The Ceremony was lovely and really personal to the couple. I love hearing all about how my couples meet and how their relationship has brought them to this moment. The Ceremony was taken by Pink and Ginger Ceremonies – who were completely fabulous as their name suggests.
After the Ceremony I moved my harp to the Wedding Breakfast room – which was a bit of a challenge in my floor-length dress on a windy day! Then there was about an hour and a half before I was needed again. I had brought some sandwiches and my book as well as the Saturday paper. I settled down in an armchair (by the fire – in August), had another cappuccino, and enjoyed some quiet time.
With a six-month-old at home I’m sure you can imagine I don’t often get the chance to sit for over an hour and just drink coffee and read. I was in heaven!
Soon enough, it was time for the Wedding Breakfast. I had a list from Lucy and Luke to work my way through, and it ended up being the perfect length to fill the time. A few guests came up to chat, which I always love. The gorgeous couple also gave me this cute little gift bag filled with chocolates and sweets to help me get through the day. I saved them until I got home and (somewhat reluctantly) shared them with my husband.
The Playlist at Stirk House Hotel
I learned a lot of songs especially for this beautiful couple, here are a few of my favourites:
- Jurassic Park Main Theme
- My Heart Will Go On from Titanic
- How Far I’ll Go from Moana
- Test Drive from How To Train Your Dragon
- Star Wars Main Theme
- Don’t Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith
These are now all added to my song list, ready to play at future weddings. If you’d like to enquire about booking me as your Wedding Harpist, click here.